Fuel, Guardia di Finanza controls strengthened: 20 tons seized and 265 reported.

The Guardia di Finanza (Italian Finance Police) intensified controls across the entire fuel supply chain between March and July 2026, with the aim of ensuring transparency, protecting consumers and honest operators, and curbing fraud in the energy sector. In approximately 4.800 operations, the Corps seized over 20 million kilograms of energy products and reported 265 people for excise-related crimes.

The investigations focused primarily on fraudulent practices such as the marketing of "designer fuels"—fuels fraudulently classified to evade taxes—the presence of clandestine depots and distributors, and the illicit sale of fuels intended for subsidized uses. Over 6,5 million kilograms of fraudulent consumption was identified.

At the same time, the Guardia di Finanza conducted numerous checks on the transparency of pump prices, finding irregularities in nearly 2.300 cases out of 3.400 inspections carried out at street petrol stations. They paid particular attention to the correct display of prices and the correspondence between the reported and applied prices.

The enforcement action was supported by an integrated economic and financial monitoring exercise involving over 400 tax and commercial warehouses and other operators in the sector, also in compliance with the regulatory provisions introduced in 2026 to stabilize and make the energy market more transparent.

In Campania, the Nola Group discovered a clandestine storage facility in Acerra containing more than 80.000 liters of designer fuel, seizing it and reporting four people for alleged evasion of excise duty assessment and payment. In the Naples area, the Pronto Impiego Group seized approximately 5.000 liters of diesel fuel illegally stored in a garage, reporting three individuals with criminal records. This situation posed a threat to public safety and to the residents of nearby buildings.

The Guardia di Finanza's work thus confirms its fundamental role in ensuring the integrity of the fuel market and the safety of citizens, combating a phenomenon that risks harming consumers and honest operators.